I work as a business intermediary assisting clients in both selling and buying their business. I always recommend that first-time business buyers purchase and read this book.

I found Joseph's book to be highly readable and well organized. Clearly it is directed at the novice business buyer, and presents only the basic material to get the novice started. However, he touches on all the important points in a business acquisition and covers the material well. Although somewhat dated (Publ. 1994), especially regarding business legal forms, it still provides the foundation for more in-depth reading and research. For the first time business buyer, this is the first book to read.

The information in this book is worth reading by anyone searching for a business to buy. Though it could use an update (it was originally published in 1993), the insights of the authors are thought-provoking and well-reasoned. You will find lots of good food for thought, here.

It's got some weaknesses: tax info is outdated; a few topics seem irrelevant (like advice on buying a PC?!); and the templates for things like the Letter of Intent are bare-bones. But the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. The commentary and wisdom of the authors (who have bought and sold companies) makes this book shine.

If you're pursuing an acquisition of less than $1 million, this book will be invaluable. For those pursuing larger acquisitions, you too will find the info helpful, but hiring professional help will be a must!

Nabokov, in his Lectures on Russian Literature, suggested that Dostoevsky be knocked off the canon of Russian writers, especially in favor of Turgenev, whom Dostoevsky hated. The reason was that Nabokov was against the "novel of ideas" because, he would say, it managed to achieve neither.

Demons is, of Dostoevsky's novels, the most ideological, yet still it is masterfully pulled off. Let it be known, however, that at times, the plot suffers at the expense of ideology, just as one has to expect, BUT THE IDEAS!

This book, although in my opinion it has the nuance of neither, is a perfect bridge between Notes From the Underground and The Brothers Karamazov. The intelligentsia, you suspect, are trying to build the positivistic paradise that the Underground man railed against, but as the novel progresses, you realize that the idealist vision has already been lost by Stepan Trofimovich, that all that remains is his desire to feel alive, even if that means inflicting every sort of pain. This is the same type of monster that Ivan warns against, and identifies himself with--if he were to act--in the Grand Inquisitor.

Also, please note, I tried once to read it in an older translation, and gave up somewhere in the 100s. This one I plunged through with little trouble.

Dostoevsky's tackling political novel is given new life in this fresh translation. This work has been unilaterally been praised for capturing Dostoevsky's power and subtlety. This story is about the political and philosophical ideas that swept Russia in the second half of the 19th century. These demons, then, are ideas, that legion of -isms that came to Russia from the West: idealism, rationalism, empiricism, materialism, utilitarianism, positivism, socialism, anarchism, nihilism, and, underlying them all, atheism.'' Dostoevsky, taking as his starting point the political chaos around him at the time, constructs an elaborate morality tale in which the people of a provincial town turn against one another because they are convinced of the infallibility of their ideas. Stepan Trofimovich, an affable thinker who does little to turn his liberal ideas into action, creates a monster in his student, Nikolai Stavrogin, who takes his spiritual father's teaching to heart, joining a circle of other nihilists who will justify any and all violent excesses for the sake of their ideas. Stavrogin aims for a systematic corrupting of society and all its principles so that out of the resulting destruction he may raise the banner of rebellion. A chilling foreshadowing of Stalinist years. This is a work of art in literature!

Dostoevsky, as the great historian of Russia Richard Pipes notes, hated Socialism and Socialists more than all else under the sun. This is a continuation of his bombardment of collectivists and utopianists that began with "Notes from Underground" and continued with "Crime and Punishment." Dostoevsky, a Christian and a Russian patriot (in the best -- Roger Scrutonian -- sense of the word) -- rejected anything and everything that would make men and women into mere social ciphers, cogs in the machine of history, into "means" rather than "ends" (to use the terminology of Kant).

Dostoevsky's primary inspiration for this novel came from an absolutely horrid novel by one Nikolai Cherneshevsky called "Chto Eto", or "What is to be Done?" An early bit of Russian utopianism, it was a precursor of the vicious theories Lenin/Stalin would deploy to "drag" Russia into the 20th century (indeed it was Lenin's favorite novel). The fact that some 66 million would be killed on the grand march to utopia was irrelevant (as the lunatic Shigalyov states in Dostoevsky's novel, "from unlimited freedom, I ended with unlimited despotism. . ." the solution] to the problems of mankind is to grant absolutely freedom to one-tenth and turn the remaining nine-tenths into a herd).

This echoes, of course, the magisterial "dialogue" between Christ and the Grand Inquisitor on the nature of human freedom in The Brothers Karamazov. But this novel is relevant for more than its attack on socialism and communism -- both of which, outside of Cuba, China, and a couple of bookstores in New York City and maybe California -- have collapsed precisely because they could do no more than create misery and murder. What makes The Demons -- indeed, the entire Dostoevsky corpus -- particularly relevant in this first decade of the 21st century is his take on the Russian intelligentsia/liberals of the 1840s -- a group characterized by out and out hatred for their country, which created the conditions for the rise of nihilism, terrorism, and bolshevism in the 1860s-1890s. Those 1840s intellectuals, like the "intelligentsia" of today's America, adopted a "blame Russia first" attitude toward all internal and external problems -- glorying in Russia's humiliations, and cursing her victories. It's not a far leap from Dostoevsky's Stepan Verkhovensky to the likes of Lapham, Vidal, and Moore. The real threat to one's community, Dostoevsky argues, is not the farmer or the factory worker who attends church, votes Republican, and drinks his beer in a tavern, whose sons and daughters march to war because they believe it their duty to the country that bore and sustained them, but those who, cloaking themselves in the false-prophet mantle of "dissent," spit and sneer at the foundations of community, or what Russians would call sobernost -- the things that makes Russia Russia, the things that make America America. Dostoevsky's work is both warning and antidote. It's no wonder he was banned by Lenin; one doubts he is discussed around the smart parties of Manhattan today.

This classic book by economist Joseph Schumpeter originally came out in three editions in 1942, 1945, and 1950. The current 1984 edition begins with a helpful introduction by Tom Bottomore. The entire book is well worth reading if you have the time for some substantial thinking about economics, politics, and history on a grand scale. However, Schumpeter's half-century old tome has recently come back into vogue as everyone is picking up his term "creative destruction". Schumpeter, coming from the Austrian school of economics, focused on processes rather than states, making his thinking different from that of other economists of his time and for decades after. His notion of creative destruction perfectly fits as a description of what is happening in the new economy, as new technologies and business models and architectures are simultaneously destroying old sources of value while creating new opportunities for profit.

it would be wise that you read this book before reading the lexus and the olive tree (thomas friedman). you will find both books very enjoyable, while providing a clear understanding of how people connect to governments, governments connect to countries and countries connect to countries... it is all about connexity!

Many summers ago while I was taking supplementary graduate courses in comparative literature, a classmate suggested that I read this book. I had not previously heard of it. It was somewhat tough going, in part because I lacked understanding of an appropriate frame-of-reference within which to absorb and digest Schumpeter's ideas. Recently, I re-read it. To paraphrase Mark Twain, it is amazing how much Schumpeter has learned over the years. I strongly recommend that Tom Bottemore's excellent Introduction be read and then re-read at least once more before anyone proceeds into the Schumpeter text. It certainly would have been very helpful to my first reading. The 28 chapters are organized as follows:

Part I: The Marxian Doctrine

Part II: Can Capitalism Survive?

Part III: Can Socialism Work

Part IV: Socialism and Democracy

Part V: A Historical Sketch of Socialist Parties

Obviously, the world which Schumpeter surveyed more than 50 years ago has undergone significant changes. (This book was first published in the US in 1942; a revised second edition appeared in 1957; and an expanded third edition appeared in 1950, the year in which he died.) Nonetheless, after a recent re-reading of the book, I am amazed at how stable its intellectual infrastructure remains. Bottomore explains the book's continuing appeal to readers "by the fact that it undertakes a serious and thorough examination of the great social transition of the present age, from capitalism to socialism, (and prefaces this with an illuminating critical appraisal of Marx's theory, as the only social analysis of the transition that merits attention) rather than by the kind of judgement that it makes about the consequences of this process of social transformation." Bottomore then quite correctly notes that, in this book, Schumpeter also examines "carefully and dispassionately" the difficulties and dangers presented by certain forms of socialism "which socialist thinkers themselves,,, after so many deceptions, can now more readily appreciate." Granted, at least some of Bottomore's discussion of Schumpeter is itself dated. Nonetheless, Schumpeter's ideas are carefully developed; moreover, he explores all manner of connections between and among those with other ideas, including those he rejects.

Do not be mislead by the title. If you are looking for tactics you can use to simplfy your live, you will not find these here. This book talks more to what is happening in you mind. The author contends that we think about things in one of two ways. We either analyze a situation or thought to death or we let the thought come and go. It is when we allow free flow thinking to guide us that we feel less rushed and more in control thus living a simpler life. The ideas in this book make a great deal of sense. However, after reading about three-quarters of the way through, you want solutions to the situations. You want to know what you can do to get into the free flow. There is a lot of theoretical stuff here that gets repeatred time and again, but very little practical advice about how to get to the desired place.

This book just plain made sense. I know, I know, the concepts in it borrow from Buddhism, and yet it was refreshing to read a book which did not have any religious connotations. It is the 'normal' thing to do to analyze everything that comes into our minds, but if we want to have inner peace in our lives and to have a sense of flow, we must not force our thoughts. I spent a long time reading this book because I enjoyed it so much. It is worth the effort to adopt this way of life in order to enjoy life to the fullest.

This book should be read by every person. The world would be a better and happier place to live. Happines is now the rule, not the exception in my life since I read this book. They make it very easy to understand and put into practice the power of thought. I actually had stress withdraw for 2 weeks I was so stressed before I read this book and adopted their philosophy. I am discussing this book with as many small groups as possible. I am looking for a study guide. Please let me know if one is available. I would also like to contact Richard Carlson to thank him. Read This Book!

You really do have to be a Catholic to truly appreciate this wonderful book. As a Catholic schoolgirl entering her eleventh year in Catholic school (scary, isn't it?), I can fully relate to this. I honestly don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life.

You know what the funniest thing about this book is? Everything in it is true...from the different kinds of nuns to Father What-a-Waste (sigh); from the description of mortal and venial sins to the purchasing of pagan babies. Well, they don't sell pagan babies anymore, but they did in my mother's day.

Even a staunch Catholic like my grandmother would have to crack a smile at the descriptive, colorful language and the abfab portrayal of the sometimes ridiculous traditions of the world's most scandalous, under-fire church. This book is a must-read for all Roman Catholics, practicing or no.

I laughed all the way through this, which must be a sin! If you are a Catholic like me you will remember everything this book talks about. In fact, I had forgotten a lot of it. I'm a little surprised it did not go into Knights of Columbus Halls (a.k.a. - the Catholic bar) and Bingo (a.k.a. - Catholic gambling) a little more. But heck, they sure covered everything else. I have to go now, I have to finish crossing myself and say a few dozen hail Mary's.

...because if you went to Catholic school, you can relate. I first read this book ten years ago when I was in Catholic school, and the nuns didn't take it away from me (amazing!). I laughed my a** off. For those of you who have read it and aren't Catholic, yes, we do practice for everything, yes, the nuns are that bad (but they don't have clickers anymore). This book is hilarious. Please, please get it and read it, cover to cover. You will laugh every time you read it.

I would like to see a more complete version of this book written for the professionals. It provides a good review of the topic although at times lacking in depth. Highly recommended for the dental student.

less comprehensive than Shafer's but it is more direct to the target and more actually clinically oriented. thanks to the authors

The text is an exellent analysis and summation of many common and uncommon disorders. The text builds and updates the previous publicaions which in my opinion are some of the most useful works in oral pathology. Clear, concise, understandible and well organized. This text should be in every Dental and Medical professionals library. Dr. Steven Sudbrink, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

The author is up front about his devout belief in the holy calling of Joseph Smith, Jr. as a modern-day prophet. He, therefore, takes Mr. Smith at his word as it relates to the chronology of many of the important LDS claims. He is otherwise reasonably critical and respectably analytical with the context of Joseph's arrival in the world up through the movement of the early Mormons to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831. Mr. Bushman confirms contemporary belief of the final composition of 1 & 2 Nephi after the rest of the Book of Mormon, as well as contrasting the early Mormon view of "restoration" being simply restoring Israel to its rightful place to the later, more fundamental "restoration" that the LDS Church holds today. I would have loved to read more of his analysis of the development of the early Mormon priesthood hierarchy, from Joseph and Oliver Cowdery as 1st and 2nd Elders of the Church, respectively, to the later Rigdonite, full-blown priesthood. Still, there's only so much one can cover in a "Beginnings" book. A great read for students, faithful LDS/Community of Christ/etc. or otherwise, of early Mormon history.

Richard L. Bushman is possibly the best historian on the subject of the Mormons. This book is thoroughly documented. Bushman focuses very much on the culture that Joseph Smith grew up in, he duscusses Joseph Smiths parents and grandparents on how they may have influenced him. Bushman is very honest and objective in his approach to the early life Joseph Smith. Bushman does not get caught up in verifying or disproving the claims of Joseph Smith. Bushman just states the facts and interprets when necesary. Richard Bushman is writing a full biography about Joseph Smith which I believe will become the definitive biography of Joseph Smith. Bushman also gives a very fair explanation on the Book of Mormon which is the most important work by Joseph Smith.

Bushman truly lives up to his reputation as a historian with this book. This work is both fair and engrossing, and it seems a very even way to learn about a man who was important in both helping to define American religious feeling and adding yet another dimension to the dynamic world of the early American republic. Another reviewer on this site declared Bushman's insights as dry, politically correct, and biased. This review demonstrated an amateur approach to history. As an academic historian, Bushman tries and succeeds to weigh all facts and give a needed view of Joseph Smith. Bushman is not the first professional historian to write a serious work for his peers about the history of his own faith, although he may be one of the first Mormon to do so. As any conscientious historian writing from such a perspective, he admits to his reader his biases and how he dealt with them to offer an accurate portrait of Joseph Smith. "Obsessively footnoted," said that reviewer. Spare me. That's what professional historians do. A person glancing at those footnotes would see how Bushman's thorough use of sources has helped him be a judicious historian. Read this book. It's a great read and a very important contribution.

Every time I want to try something somewhat obscure and don't want to dig through the Oracle on-line manuals, I have found a quick, easy-to-read piece of sample code in this book. Excellent choice for the experienced Oracle developer's reference book.

One of the best books I have bought for Oracle PL/SQL. Well worth the money. I have been a developer for 5 years now. Thank you for the insightful and examples that actually make sense AND work.

Very well drafted for a beginner/intermediate level PL/SQL developer.

Highly recommend it.

The book is easily worth the price and is an excellent reference volume. It provides standards for best practices for developers of PL/SQL applications, from naming conventions to commenting the source code. This is something that every Oracle developer and DBA should read and try to apply to their environments. The book covers many of the new features of Oracle8i and provides ample examples. The one complaint I have, and it was echoed by some of my associates, was that their was no disk or CD accompanying the book. The authors refer to the examples by file name but there is no disk or CD to get the files from. Presumedly, the examples are available from the Oracle Press Osborne web site. But a disk should have been included for those users who may not have access to the internet.

Aside from this, the book is excellent reading for DBAs and developers and is crammed with information. It includes a history of Oracle and PL/SQL that some may not be aware of, as well as the major features of each version of PL/SQL, from version 1.0 through 8.1. For me it was a brief trip down memory lane, for I cut my teeth on version 1.0 of PL/SQL. The index could be improved a little for better cross referencing, but the coverage of Oracle topics is first rate.

As a DBA and developer, I found the book invaluable and it is one of the books that I recommend to clients and associates. (Here's a tip: Tell your associates to get their own copy.) The book is written in a near conversational tone and far from the dry, antiseptic tone of Oracle's own manuals. Maybe Oracle should get the TUSC guys to write their manuals. The books is nothing less than what I have come to expect from the people at TUSC.

I was supremely disappointed with the book, particularly in light of the rave reviews seen on this page. There are no recommendations beyond what could have been provided in a brochure. While the spas are rated, there is no explanation provided on how the rankings were determined. The first section also seemed to indicate spas could get listed simply by sending in material. I was hoping for some indication that someone had actually visited the spa or spoken with someone who has, thereby confirming the information and adding value with meaningful comments about specialities.

This book was useful on my trip!

This 420 page spa guide is EXCELLENT! It includes a huge list of Invigotry, health, and fitness spas, rating each from "tourist guide" to "deluxe". I was most impressed with its well written reviews- especially the one on the Amadeus Spa. Read it and find the spa best for you!

The book has moments of clarity then it will wander off. Uses sexually charged terms like androgeny, feminine side, masculine side which are totally unnecessary. I think the dude has wandered a little too far into eastern mystisism for his own good. It makes me wonder if he really is a Christian, especially when he is promoting Mary worship. Mary should be venerated not worshipped.

This is a beautifully written book. It is very readable. If these two men speak like they write, both must be dynamic preachers, public speakers, and workshop facilitators.

The strongest parts of The Wild Man's Journey are the middle or core chapters. Examples here include: The Two Journeys, Man the Maker, and The Father Wound.

Does the book need work? Yes. Rohr's lengthy "Introduction to the Revised Edition" is not necessary. Much of the information he has included there should either be interjected into the text of other chapters or perhaps placed in an "About the Authors" section at the end of the book. Like a sermon or public speech, the introductory text of a book has to be hard-hitting and to the point to grab the attention of the audience (mainly male readers). An early chapter on John the Baptist (probably the most famous of the biblical wild men) would have been very appropriate for this book as well.

I also believe that the authors overdo "the feminine side" of male spirituality. What they interpret as feminine attributes could easily be interpreted by others (including developmental psychologists)as very masculine, fatherly traits.

This book is a good primer on male spirituality. However, there are other books available that go beyond what Rohr and Martos have written about. I would be interested in finding out just how much laity input was involved in the writing and editing of this book. Too much emphasis seems to have been placed on the viewpoint of the clergy.

I have been going through life-changing circumstances and this book speaks to me in a way that gives me understanding about myself as a man and has me take responsibility for my life as a human being and a spiritual being. I first read the book over five years ago and it was interesting. Now that I am on a journey for a deeper understanding of myself, I happened to come across the book again and re-read it. My listening of this book is so much different now than before and it challenges me to continue the journey to be a man of wisdom in my life and make a difference with the people I meet. This book is a treasure.